A new contender has entered the podcast landscape: wait, is that California Governor Gavin Newsom? His show features a surprisingly conservative guest list, including MAGA stars Steve Bannon and Charlie Kirk. Kai and Kimberly break down the fourth wall and discuss whether there’s value in platforming guests who hold a different set of values. Plus, more federal layoffs took place this past week, this time in the U.S. Department of Education and its civil rights division. Then, the hosts get smiley about rescue dogs in a sled dog race (thanks, Abigail!) and the birds in Kai’s neighborhood.

Here’s everything we talked about today: 

• “Gavin Newsom Finds Some Surprising Common Ground With Steve Bannon” from The New York Times

• “Massive Layoffs at the Department of Education Erode Its Civil Rights Division” by ProPublica

• “U.S. Department of Education Launches “End DEI” Portal” from the U.S. Department of Education

• “This Iditarod musher is racing with mostly rescue dogs from Alaska shelters” from Alaska Public Media

• Kai’s been using Merlin Bird ID from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to identify birds in his neighborhood

• Meanwhile, Kimberly’s uses the Seek app to help her tell the difference between weeds and plants in her garden

Got a question or comment for the hosts? Email makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.